For those wondering
You might think you don’t know the Seven Valleys, but chances are you have seen it, driven through it, or heard stories from someone who has.
For the railway enthusiasts
The Zig Zag Railway Experience
If you like your history with a side of air, Zig Zag Railway is a win. It feels approachable and unpretentious, the kind of experience you can easily settle into.
What the ride feels like
This line was built to tackle steep country, so the track does exactly what the name promises. You’ll wind, climb, and switch back through the valley, with views one minute and close bush the next. The experience is unhurried. You settle into your seat, hear the creak of old rolling stock, and feel the locomotive take up the load as the scenery quietly shifts around you. It’s the kind of ride where you’ll want to swap sides, just to see what’s coming around the bend.
A little backstory
The Great Lithgow Zig Zag first opened in 1869 as part of the Western Railway line linking Sydney with western New South Wales. In 1910, a deviation was completed and the original Zig Zag closed. Years later, Zig Zag Railway was born again, keeping the story alive through an experience you can take today. It’s history you don’t just read about, you move through it.
Plan your visit
The starting point is Clarence. Tickets are sold online, and the railway notes it can sell out, so booking ahead is the safest move. Services operate on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with trains running once per fortnight, so checking dates before you lock anything in is time well spent.
On the day
Give yourself time to look around before you board. There are picnic spots, a souvenir store, the Container Café, and static carriages set up for dining. Most journeys include pauses at stations where the locomotive runs around the carriages, a simple moment that’s worth stepping out to watch. It’s easy to stretch the visit beyond the ride itself, especially if you’re making a half day of it.
Before you go
This is a sit back and look out the window kind of experience. There’s no rush once you’re onboard, so let the scenery do the work. Chat to the volunteers, notice the small workings of the railway, and enjoy being properly offline for a little while. It’s one of those outings that feels easy, grounded, and quietly memorable.
Keep exploring
Guides & Itineraries
For coffee lovers
Our cafés are places where good food, friendly faces and a sense of calm come together. These are some of our favourite spots to settle in with a cup and enjoy the moment.
For the Curious Wanderers
Some walks take half an hour. Others take a full day. A few end in darkness, with thousands of tiny lights overhead. We have a track to suit every kind of wander.
For for green thumbs and those that wish they were
Tucked between escarpments, along quiet country roads and behind unassuming gates, the Seven Valleys is home to gardens that reward those who take the time to wander.
For River Seekers
Wild swimming in the Seven Valleys is not something most people come here specifically looking for. It is something you discover along the way.
For the adventurous
The Glow Worm Tunnel is one of the most memorable natural experiences in the Seven Valleys. Set within Wollemi National Park, this former railway tunnel shelters thousands of soft blue lights that cling to the damp stone walls.
Gardens of Stone
· 70 KM
· 1 days
A long gravel ride through open ridgelines and quiet stone country.
For the History Lover
Vertical sandstone cliffs stand guard as you explore the crumbling, vegetation-covered Glen Davis Shale Oil Works structures.
For the Outlook Explorers
If you like your scenery served up without too much effort, the Seven Valleys delivers in spades.
For nature lovers
Towering sandstone pagodas, sheer cliffs, slot canyons and sweeping plateaus give the area a dramatic, sculptural feel. Welcome to Gardens of Stone.
For the explorer
The Bracey Lookout gives a 180° view of the Lithgow Valley, offering one of the best overviews of the city of Lithgow.
For nature lovers
Wolgan Valley is a place of wide horizons, deep stillness and long stories. The valley has been cared for by the Wiradjuri people for tens of thousands of years, and their presence can still be felt in the rock art that lines the sandstone shelters.
Wollemi National Park
· 26 KM
· 2 days
A long gravel ride through open ridgelines and quiet stone country.
Seven Valley's
· 180 KM
· 4 days
A slow camping route through Seven Valleys’ most secluded bush camps.
For the railway enthusiasts
A heritage train ride just outside Lithgow that lets you hop aboard and watch bush, escarpments, and valleys roll by, without needing to be a rail expert to enjoy it.
For lake seekers
Each lake in the Seven Valleys offers its own way of spending a day, shaped by the land around it and the people who know it well.
For the history lover
Built in the 1840's, Eskbank House and Museum showcases a fascinating historical collection of Lithgow's social and industrial heritage.
For the Sky Watchers
Once the sun drops behind the ridgelines, the noise fades, the air cools, and that 7V sky starts to do its thing.
For the Refined Retreaters
Our luxury stays are not about excess, but about quiet beauty, deep rest and experiences shaped by nature.
For the Eccentric Stay Seeker
Staying in the Seven Valleys often means something a little unexpected, with accommodation that reflects the landscape and rewards slowing down.
For the history lover
A heritage-listed 19th century village, Hartley has one of the finest collections of historic buildings in Australia, including its 1837 courthouse.
For the Family Days
Play spaces across the region are practical and easy to use, giving kids freedom to run, climb and explore while the rest of the day unfolds around them.